Some Facts about Cell Phone Radiation by Dr. Andrew Goldsworthy July 2009

The body can
collect the signal and turn it into electric currents just like the antenna of
a radio set or a cell phone. These currents are carried by ions (electrically
charged atoms or molecules) flowing through the living tissues and in the blood
vessels (a system of tubes full of an electrically-conducting salty fluid that
connect almost every part of the body). When these currents impinge on cell
membranes, which are normally electrically charged, they try to vibrate in time
with the current. Pure unmodulated radio frequency signals change direction far
too quickly to cause serious vibration. Almost as soon as the membrane starts
to move in one direction, it is driven back in the other so it remains more or
less stationary.

However, living
cell membranes are able to demodulate these modulated signals and extract the
more dangerous lower frequencies, which can now cause significant vibration on
a molecular scale. In particular, they drive the negatively charged molecules
of the membrane and the positively charged ions, which are attached to it, in
opposite directions. As a result, some of these ions are shaken loose. Those
with a double charge, such as calcium ions are lost preferentially and replaced
by others with only one charge, which are less affected. But ions with one
charge are less able to stabilise the membrane, which therefore becomes weaker
and more inclined to leak. This in turn can produce all sorts of unwanted
biological effects, ranging from electromagnetic hypersensitivity (EHS) to a
loss of fertility and an increased risk of getting cancer.

How cells demodulate the signal

The mechanism of
demodulation is controversial, but there is no doubt that it occurs. The best
explanation is that the multitude of minute ion channels found in cell
membranes act as electrically-biased point contact diodes (the inside of a cell
is normally several tens of millivolts negative to the outside). These can
rectify and demodulate the signal, even at microwave frequencies, so that the
low frequency component appears across the membrane, where it can do most
damage. A good demonstration of this demodulating effect can be found at http://tinyurl.com/m4u75o , where you can
see and even hear a complete radio set, based on a single carbon nanotube,
which can receive, amplify and demodulate regular radio programmes.
Furthermore, it also works at microwave frequencies.

How people become electrosensitive

A cell phone
signal, when demodulated in this way generates a whole family of low frequency
components, some of which are biologically-active and cause membrane leakage.
One consequence of this leakage is to make the sensory cells of
electrosensitive individuals give a whole range of false sensations.

We all have
countless sensory cells that sense touch, heat, pressure, pain etc. but they
nearly all work on the same principle. When they sense whatever they are
programmed to sense, their membranes “deliberately” leak ions, which
short-circuit the natural electrical potentials across them, and this triggers
them to send the relevant nerve impulses to the brain.

Unfortunately,
people suffering from EHS have significantly higher natural rates of membrane
leakage as measured by their skin conductance (Eltiti et al. 2007). Since their
leakage rates are already high, even small amounts of electromagnetic radiation
that would not affect non-sensitive individuals can trigger their symptoms. Not
everyone gets exactly the same symptoms, but they include false feelings of
heat, touch, pressure, crawling sensations, pins and needles and pain.

The radiation can
also affect the “hair cells of the inner ear, which work in much the same way.
Leakage here can trigger false sensations of sound (tinnitus). There is a
similar effect on the hair cells of the part of the inner ear that controls of
balance. Leakage here gives feelings of dizziness and symptoms of motion
sickness, including nausea.

We are all at risk

EHS may become a
major problem for us all. Although only a few percent of the population are at
present electrosensitive, the condition can be brought on in hitherto healthy
people by repeated or prolonged exposure to the radiation. However, it
sometimes takes many years to develop so, even if you are currently one of the
lucky ones who are not affected, there is no guarantee that it will stay that
way.

Effects on the brain

When the neurons
of the brain leak, they become more likely to transmit nerve impulses, some of
which are spurious and have no right to be there. This explains many of the
symptoms reported by people living near cell towers. They include brain
hyperactivity, mental fogginess, loss of concentration, sleep disturbances, stress
headaches, migraine and possibly an increased risk of people with epilepsy
getting seizures.

Another effect on
the brain is the disruption of the blood-brain barrier. This is a layer of
tissue between the blood system and the brain, where the gaps between the cells
are sealed, so that no unwanted materials can enter the brain. Electromagnetic
exposure makes this layer leak potentially toxic substances that can cause
permanent brain damage. The effects of this may not be immediately apparent
because the brain has spare capacity, but are likely to be progressive and lead
to early dementia.

Effects on the heart

People exposed to
the radiation from cell towers sometimes report cardiac arrhythmia and
palpitations. These too can be explained by membrane leakage. The cells of the
heart muscle have also been shown to lose membrane calcium following
electromagnetic exposure and may also leak. Normally, the rhythm of the heart
is controlled electrically by waves of programmed ion leakage that spread
through the heart causing it to contract. Unscheduled ion leakage brought about
by electromagnetic radiation can disrupt this process and induce cardiac
arrhythmia, with a consequent increased risk of getting heart attacks.

Effects on the skin

Leakage in the
cells of the skin, can cause inflammation as their contents leak out. There is
also a barrier layer in the skin (the stratum
granulosum) in which the gaps between the cells are sealed, as in the blood
brain barrier. When this leaks, it allows toxins and allergens to enter the
body more easily. This can explain the current increase in multiple chemical
sensitivities and allergies, which appear to coincide with our ever-increasing
exposure to non-ionising electromagnetic radiation. You can find more about the
biological and health effects of this sort of radiation (including references)
at http://tinyurl.com/5ru6e6 .

Can we act responsibly?

Almost no one
wants to give up the convenience of having a cell phone. But at present, the
toxic effects of their radiation are unacceptably high. Much of this seems to
be due to the way in which the microwaves are modulated to carry information. A
great deal could be done to improve the modulation process; e.g. to remove the
low frequency changes in signal strength that appear to be particularly
damaging. This work will need to be done by engineers working in concert with
biologists, but it may be some time before we have an inherently safe system.
In the meantime, we need to do everything we can to reduce our exposure levels.
No one wants a “nanny state” but it is the duty of Governments to warn us of
the health risks of using cell phones so that we can use them responsibly.

The cell phone operators have responsibilities too

The radiation
from cell towers is potentially more dangerous than cell phones themselves because
they run continuously day and night and have been shown to have many unpleasant
effects on people living near them. These appear to be due to an attenuation of
their normal circadian rhythms, leading to tiredness during the day, poor sleep
at night and a weaker immune system. The immune system is linked closely to
these rhythms, and any reduction in their efficacy will increase the risk of
general ill health. Furthermore, the immune system also gets rid of incipient cancer
cells so, if compromised by radiation, it will increase the risk of getting
cancer; something that is already being reported in people living near cell
towers.

It is now up to
the cell phone operators. At present, the law allows them to put cell towers
pretty much wherever they like. But this
law was made many years ago before many of the non-thermal biological effects
of electromagnetic radiation were discovered; let alone understood. The fact
that many of these effects now have plausible scientific explanations
strengthens the need for more rigorous legislation with tighter limits on base
station power and restrictions on placing them in densely populated areas,
especially in sensitive locations such as schools. The question is, are they yet
fully aware of the dangers they pose and do they have sufficient of a social
conscience to do this on a voluntary basis?

Andrew
Goldsworthy BSc PhD

Lecturer in
Biology (retired)

Imperial College
London

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